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Characters
Pandora's Box – Characters (Jack Lawson 1701239) In Pandora's Box, there are only two characters, each controlled by separate human players. The first player controls the puzzle solver, the “main character” so to speak, whilst the second player controls the “narrator” character that has the role of either antagonist or guide to the main player, being given a randomised chance to provide the player with guidance to complete a puzzle or instructions that could lead to failing a puzzle. Main Character – Pandora The main character controlled by player one is called Pandora, a patient who was stuck in a coma at a mental hospital who was left behind when the hospital was mysteriously abandoned by all staff, bar the other player controlled character. At the start of the game, Pandora wakes up in a clean hospital bed, in a perfect white room that looks as though it was just built, surrounded by medical equipment, it quickly becomes clear that she was in fact being treated for several mental health issues, as shown through her medical file being left on a desk in the corner of the room, among those issues, it states she suffers from “severe delusions and hallucinations” and was stuck in a “repressed memory state”. However, upon reading the file, she will then read a note attached that states she has long been cured. Pandora is a confused person, unsure of the place she has woke up in, though it quickly becomes clear that she is an intelligent problem solver as she progresses through the game. However, with each puzzle Pandora completes, cracks in the world around her begin to show, as Pandora becomes unclear which version of the hospital she is in is the real one, the clean one or the ruined and abandoned one and the further in the game Pandora progresses, the more obvious it becomes to her that she is not cured of her illnesses, slowly either accepting her position and driving to be free and cured, or delving deeper into madness depending on the actions and whims of the second player character. Secondary Character – “The Narrator” The Narrator is the secondary player character in Pandora's Box, can take the form of both an antagonist and a guide to Pandora. A patient at the hospital themselves, having escaped their restraints when the hospital was abandoned, they have delved completely into insanity, suffering from split personalities that are at odds with one another on whether to help or hinder Pandora in her quest for freedom and sanity. As Pandora wakes, the Narrator takes control of the hospital speaker system and decides to converse with Pandora, slipping between personalities mid conversation, occasionally arguing with himself as the two personalities disagree on things. The Narrator has full access to the Hospital plans and has intentionally set up puzzles for Pandora to solve whilst she was comatose. In addition to this, the Narrator is fully aware of Pandora's mental state and hallucinations regardless of personality, often providing her with riddles and challenging her to word games as she explores, finding joy in the games and getting excited, regardless of state, when Pandora solves a puzzle. Whenever Pandora reaches a new puzzle, the Narrator will flip a coin and, depending on how it lands, one of the two personalities will take over and help or hinder her, either providing hints on how to complete the puzzle, or giving false information to slow down Pandora and interrupt her progress. Hallucinations As Pandora progresses through the hospital, despite it being totally abandoned, she often hallucinates other patients and staff, all of which disappear shortly after being noticed, but often drawing her closer to objectives or closer to danger depending on the situation, each hallucination having something wrong with it's appearance and the way it moves, but also representing something Pandora needs to remember. RELATED ARTICLES Story Puzzles and Mechanics Art and Setting Thought Experiment Link